GONORRHCEA 223 



It is necessary to subculture every three days, or the vitality 

 is lost. 



Occurrence and Pathogenesis. — Gonorrhcea is known 

 throughout the whole of the globe, and the specificity of 

 the diplococcus of Neisser is fully admitted ; its specificity 

 has been fully demonstrated by Bumm, who, after obtaining 

 pure cultures from gonorrhoeal pus, cultivated the organism 

 through twenty successive generations, and then introduced 

 it into the urethra of healthy men with positive results. In 

 gonorrhoea the pus may contain gonococci in pure culture 

 during the first few days, but later on staphylococci and 

 streptococci will probably be found. The gonococci them- 

 selves are peculiar in being most frequently found in the 

 pus-cells. Bosc mentions as many as fourteen other 

 organisms besides the commoner staphylococci (nine of 

 them being diplococci) which occur in the pus, and has 

 published a table by the aid of which their identity may 

 be established. After the acute stage of gonorrhoea has 

 passed, and there is no longer any considerable flow of 

 pus, the gleet that follows may stiU contain the gonococcus, 

 and so long as there are any floating pus filaments to be 

 seen in the urine it is possible that the gonococcus is 

 present, and might produce gonorrhoea on coitus with a 

 healthy female. Wiirtz recommends that, before making 

 search for the organism in such filaments, an artificial 

 irritation should be excited by the injection of nitrate of 

 silver solution, so as to cause a more copious discharge of 

 pus, in which the gonococcus, if present, can be demon- 

 strated. This view has also been discussed favourably in 

 certain American journals, and a short article has appeared 

 on it in the Medical Press (November 20, 1895). 



The gonococcus has also been found in cystitis, in 

 chronic urethritis, and in bubos, though the latter are 

 chiefly caused by streptococci. 



